Editor J. Thomas Rimer includes in this anthology an excellent introduction that clearly and succinctly outlines Mori Ogai's achievements and expands readers' appreciation of the writer's intellectual and creative abilities. Concise and thorough introductory comments by the editor or translators, in each of the seven sections of the book, place the materials in context.
Works include "The Author Himself" essays; "In Germany," essays written for German newspapers in response to articles written by a German geologist to whom Ogai took exception; "In The World of Politics," two essays that read like fiction and deal with moral issues; "The Visual Arts," essays in which Ogai discusses accomplishments in Western art and their meaning for art in Japan; "The Contemporary Japanese Theater," which presents several of Ogai's original dramas, most notably "Shizuka" and "Ikutagawa," both drawn from traditional literary sources dating back to the eighth century but presented in modern colloquial Japanese (a first for the Japanese theater); "Four Unusual Stories," three that draw largely on Ogai's own experiences and opinions plus a historical fiction novella; and "The Art of Poetry," a set of poems by Ogai.
Known to Western readers primarily through translations of his novels and short stories, Ogai is reintroduced here through a comprehensive view of his accomplishments and broad range of interests and influence. How should Ogai be described? He is a novelist, translator, poet, dramatist, art critic, intellectual and, perhaps most impressive, a scholar.